Birthday Special: Aakash Chopra – A sturdy India opener, an astute tactician

He was a man blessed with good technique. He was tight in defence and had the ability to blunt the new ball. Aakash Chopra represented India in 10 Test matches between 2003 and 2004.

The right-handed batsman scored 437 runs in the whites for his country and scored his runs at an average of 23.0. He scored a couple of fifties in Test match cricket for the Indian team as well.

Chopra scored twin fifties in a Test match against New Zealand in the year 2003 in a drawn encounter, and that remains his best performance in a Test match with the willow in hand.

However, even after his playing days are over, Chopra is still in the limelight, courtesy of his stint as a commentator. Chopra is often seen in pre-and post-match shows and offers his thoughts about various teams and players. He has a fluent language, and also offers several unique insights about the game.

And, while he experienced moderate success as a cricketer, he has transitioned into the commentary box in a seamless manner. Chopra also has his own YouTube channel where he constantly puts out videos regarding analysis of teams, his predicted playing XIs etc. And, at the time of writing, Chopra’s YouTube channel has 2.81 Million subscribers and his channel has garnered a whopping 560184525 views as well.

Chopra has a lot of knowledge about the game and has developed the ability to keep the attention of his audience intact with his analysis that is also interspersed with humour as well. Yes, Chopra was a good batsman who was technically sound and had the patience to play long innings, but he is now winning hearts off the cricket field, with his commentary. As the former Indian cricketer turns 44 today, here is wishing Aakash Chopra a very happy birthday.